As we move towards the New Year, more than a handful of Australians are likely asking themselves whether they’re really ready to return to work.
And beyond whatever we’re feeling about work itself, a higher proportion of Aussies will also be grappling with the prospect of returning to their physical worksite.
Over the last year, the nation has seen the first percentage decrease in people working from home (WFH) since 2020, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows.
So, has Australia passed peak WFH?
And as hybrid and remote work arrangements continue to reshape Australian workplaces — and the expectations of both employees and employers — are Australians ready for the so-called ‘great return’ to the office?
The current work landscape
There’s been a decrease in working from home over the last year with 36 per cent of employed people usually working from home, down from 37 per cent in August 2023, the ABS data shows.
It’s the first decrease since COVID-19 struck in 2020 and the percentage of Australians working from home jumped from 32.1 per cent to as high as 53 per cent.
However, this transformation has been spread unevenly across different workplaces.
Sectors such as education, healthcare, and construction report significantly lower levels of remote work compared to professional services, finance, and IT, the ABS reports.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that flexibility is one of the top reasons why Australians choose to work from home. Source: SBS News
Additionally, about 41 per cent of employed Australians reported working from home at least one day a week, with the main reason being more flexibility or choose own hours (25 per cent).
After this, the next most common reason was either that a person was operating a business from home or had a home-based job (23 per cent).
In third place was the ability to catch up on work after hours (21 per cent).
The importance of flexibility
Dr Zen Goh, senior lecturer for Monash University’s Department of Management said creating an environment where employees can truly thrive should be an employer’s priority for enticing employees back to the office.
“This requires intentionally crafting an organisational culture that supports employee autonomy and growth through well-designed policies, practices, and nurturing positive social relationships.
“While remote work naturally allowed employees to exercise flexibility at their discretion, employers must now actively develop alternative ways to maintain this sense of autonomy within the office setting,” Goh said.
However, enforcing strict working-from-the-office policies could see employers end up short-staffed.
Seventy-six per cent of respondents to the 2024 National Working Families Survey (NWFS) said they wouldn’t apply for a job that didn’t offer flexible working arrangements.
The survey — carried out by a coalition of NGOs including the United Nations Children’s Fund — also found that 60 per cent thought the best type of flexibility for working parents and carers was having more control over where and when they work.
The gender equity lens
While it won’t be a surprise to many, the NWFS also found that “women continue to bear the majority of the caring load and household duties, despite working similar hours to men”.
This is reflected in the higher degree of importance women placed on flexible work arrangements.
While 60 per cent of women strongly agreed that they wouldn’t apply for jobs that didn’t offer flexible work arrangements, only 32 per
cent of men gave the same response.
And of the 84 per cent of NWFS respondents who indicated that they’d used flexible working hours or locations in the last year, 66 per cent were women.
A spokesperson for CEOs for Gender Equity warned that mandating a full-time return to the office would come with consequences.
“Mandating a return to full-time office work, if not approached with understanding and collaboration, could have profound long-term consequences for workplace diversity and the advancement of women into leadership roles,” a spokesperson from the group told SBS.
“Having rigid in-office requirements may disproportionately impact women, particularly those with caregiving responsibilities, by limiting their ability to balance professional and personal obligations.
“Flexibility is no longer just a benefit — it’s a necessity. Additionally, mandates for office-based work can harm retention and morale, as employees may leave for organisations that prioritise flexible work models,” they said.
